


peace in letting go

by n7punk



Series: Outside of the War - She-ra canon stories [20]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Bondage, Canon Compliant, Dom Catra (She-Ra), Dom/sub, Explicit Consent, F/F, Kink Negotiation, POV Catra (She-Ra), Post-Canon, Safewords, Shibari, Smut, Strap-Ons, Strapping, Sub Adora (She-Ra)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28416426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n7punk/pseuds/n7punk
Summary: When the weight of a planet – sometimes a universe – to lead out of war gets to be too much, Adora goes to Catra. It is a relief to worry about nothing but her girlfriend, to make no decisions and let Catra tell her what she wants. It turns out, there is a word for that. Adora knows it, but she has never said it about herself before.(This is just Sub Adora. That’s it.)
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Outside of the War - She-ra canon stories [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793227
Comments: 52
Kudos: 374





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Did I draft this fic 5 months ago and then leave it as an outline in my wips because I thought it was Too Much to ever write? Yes, I did, and now we’re here.  
> Their safewords are established in [to have & hold](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25810030).

Adora has had a stressful day. Bow called Catra to warn her as she and Glimmer got out of their meeting. Adora returned from her She-ra duties with a thousand-yard stare and heavy shoulders. Catra has not seen this version of Adora often since the war, but she reappears occasionally. Catra knows how to take care of her. She needs to make it just them, nothing else and no one else in the world. Catra arranged with the castle kitchens for dinner to be brought to their room. Now dinner is finished, Melog sent away, and Adora-

Adora is on her knees beside the bed, buried between Catra’s legs and making her tremble. Catra had barely led her to the bed, intending to worship her girlfriend, before Adora was tugging her to the edge of the poofy mattress and falling to her knees with a hopeful look in her eye. Catra was not going to _deny_ her, letting Adora undress her and then doing the same for Adora before she returned to kneel between Catra’s thighs.

Adora drags her tongue along the length of her, plunging in at the end of the long stroke, and Catra cries out softly, her hand in Adora’s hair spasming and hips twitching forward. Adora eats her out with determined _purpose_ , like she somehow has found an energy reserve deep within herself to pour everything she has left into making Catra feel good.

“ _Ah- Adora_. Fuck, that feels so good,” Catra pants out, because every stuttered praise has made the scent of desire in the room build. The sounds of Adora’s mouth against her are _obscene_ , but the scent of Adora’s own arousal is almost overwhelming.

“You look so gorgeous, on your knees for me, taking care of me so well,” Catra tells Adora, earning a groan that reverberates into her clit. Adora’s eyes are closed, surrounded only by Catra’s words and _taste_. The thought makes her stutter her hips forward, _taking_ more. Adora’s reaction is an immediate cry, interrupting the movement of her tongue as she lets it out. A fresh wave of desire hits the air as Adora’s grip on Catra’s thighs flexes, forcing her legs further apart.

Catra whines, tugging on Adora’s hair and stuttering her hips forward again, on purpose now she has seen Adora’s reaction. Adora _loves_ it, drinking in the demanding press of Catra’s hips and moaning as Catra spills forth any filthy praise she can conjure up. Praise always turns Adora into a mess, but today she is _dripping down her thighs_ as she laps against Catra.

“You like it when I fuck your mouth, don’t you? Such a gorgeous princess, so eager to please me,” Catra breathes out, her voice rough with desire as she rolls her hips forward. Adora’s thighs clench, her breaths coming in whines out her nose. Catra is not going to hold out much longer. Adora’s tongue has been taking her apart, but seeing Adora such a _wreck_ just for her words and her taste has Catra’s vision going hazy with lust.

“Touch yourself, princess. I want you to come with me,” Catra tells her, yanking harshly on Adora’s hair. Adora might not need the push – she seems a bit delirious with her pleasure already – but after the tension of the day, a little _contact_ can’t hurt. Adora’s hand dutifully falls between her legs, her knees shifting apart a little as she seals her lips against Catra’s clit and _sucks_.

Catra cries out, her hips jerking forward. For a few moments, there isn’t anything but Adora’s tongue and lips against her, moans filling her ears from both of them as the smell of sex builds in the room. Her orgasm floods through her, causing her entire body to shake as she twitches weakly against Adora’s mouth, _mewling_.

Catra gasps for breath, the stars finally fading from her eyes after several long moments blank with bliss. She blinks, forcing her vision to come back into focus even as her limbs tremble and the aftershocks jolt through her. Adora came too, her skin flushed and sweaty. Her head is pillowed on Catra’s thigh, eyes closed as she gasps for breath. Considering what a mess Catra is, she isn’t surprised Adora needs a breather.

Catra forces herself to swallow around her dry throat, undoing Adora’s ponytail so she can bury her hands in her hair and stroke through it, soothing them both as Adora comes back to herself.

“You were so good for me, Adora. That felt amazing,” Catra assures her. Adora lets out a soft, pleased noise, nudging against Catra’s thigh a little, but not lifting her head. Adora seems totally relaxed, slumped on the ground between Catra’s knees. Catra strokes through her hair, focusing on evening her own breathing out as she studies Adora’s face, slack and peaceful. There is a slight contented smile at the corner of her mouth, but aside from that her muscles are slack.

Catra waits her out, purring softly from the orgasm as she strokes through her girlfriend’s hair. That might not have been what she was _planning_ for the evening, but it certainly seems to have worked, and getting Adora to relax was her real goal anyway. How they got there does not matter.

Adora comes back to herself slowly, humming softly where she has her cheek pillowed on Catra’s thigh before eventually stirring enough to turn her head and press kisses into Catra’s thigh, her hum thoroughly _content_ as she nuzzles her way up the length of Catra’s leg. Adora presses a kiss against her hip before lowering her head to cradle in the junction of Catra’s hip and leg, seemingly content there.

Her breathing has evened, and the sweat shining across her skin is drying, but she gives no indication that she is considering moving. It is exactly what Catra _wanted_ , but she also wants Adora up on the bed so they can cuddle properly. It can’t be a comfortable position, at least not on Adora’s knees, and Catra wants her girlfriend against her now.

“Adora? Are you okay down there?” Catra prods, softly, threading her fingers through Adora’s hair properly and tugging gently. Any more pressure and she is bound to get her turned on again, and she doesn’t want that after Adora worked so _hard_ for Catra to turn them both boneless. Boneless Catra, however, doesn’t want to keep sitting up at the edge of the bed.

“Hmm, perfect,” Adora mumbles, her words almost _slurred_ she is that lax. If Catra wasn’t so content she would frown. Instead she just blinks down at her girlfriend, who she swears might be falling asleep kneeled on the floor between her legs. She isn’t dozing off _yet_ , but she seems close.

“Do you want to get up, Adora?” Catra prompts, gently. _Cuddles now_? she doesn’t say. She is getting a lot better at being vulnerable, but she has her limits still. She wants Adora against her now, but it feels weak to admit it. She will make herself say it if she has to, but if she can get Adora to join her without having to it will be easier. Against her hip, Adora whines.

“No, I like it here,” she says, a bit _petulantly_. Catra blinks down at her, _confused_ now as Adora rubs her face into Catra’s fur, scattering kisses against her occasionally.

“Where, between my thighs?” Catra asks, some of the energy coming back to her voice just from being incredulous. Adora smiles, slitting her eyes open and sending Catra an absolutely _filthy_ look despite the lazy sweetness contained within it.

“That’s definitely part of it,” she hums, pressing another kiss against Catra’s hip. Catra is not really sure what to do. She doesn’t _want_ to tell Adora to get up, but she also doesn’t want Adora to stay down there. Adora’s eyes have slipped closed again as she rubs her cheek against Catra’s thigh like she is capable of marking it. Maybe Catra has just conditioned her to associate that motion with affection. She doesn’t seem to be considering the fact she can’t scent like Catra can.

Something is going on. Adora seems perfectly happy where she is, but the protests from her knees should have prompted her to get up by now.

“Adora, what’s wrong?” Catra prompts, softly, stamping down on the instinct in her that says Adora doesn’t want to get in the bed with her. She is getting better about her doubt, and regardless it doesn’t make sense seeing as Adora is _between her thighs_. Adora just whines in response, distress slipping into her expression as she nuzzles into Catra’s inner thigh.

“Can I just stay here?” she asks, her voice a little pleading, a little _worried_. Catra’s heart is beating a little harder, but she forces herself to swallow down her doubt and keep the stroking movements of her fingers steady in Adora’s hair.

“Of course, Adora,” Catra whispers. Like her words are magic, all the tension that was starting to seep back into Adora’s face and body just slips away, her shoulders falling from where they were tensing as she lets out a small, relieved sigh. Catra watches it with fascination, the gears in the back of her head turning.

“Adora? Would laying in my lap while we're both in the bed be good for you?” Catra prompts, lightly trailing her fingers down to trace the side of Adora’s face. Adora pauses, her brows drawing together a bit as she considers it, but at least she just looks _unsure_ rather than _worried_.

“I don’t know,” she admits, quietly. Not particularly _helpful_ , at least not for the immediate problem, but Catra thinks she is starting to get the picture of what is going on here.

“I don’t want you to hurt your knees, Adora. You can stay with your head in my lap even in the bed,” Catra points out, sliding her hand back to grip Adora’s hair, tugging gently. Adora lets out a soft breath, shifting her hips and thus shifting her _knees_. She winces a little immediately, but she still gives a small shake of her head and tucks her face into Catra’s thigh.

“I like it here,” she responds. Catra frowns. Adora is clearly hurting at this point, and even if she _likes it there_ , Catra doesn’t like the idea of being the reason her girlfriend is in pain.

“Do I have to order you into the bed, princess?” Catra asks, committing to her suspicion at least _partially_ as she tugs on Adora’s hair again. Adora flushes, letting out a small whimper, and shakes her head.

“N- no,” she stutters out, swallowing thickly. She finally raises her head, blinking slowly at Catra as she gets used to holding her head up again and then offers her a small smile. Catra gives one in return, relieved Adora is finally getting up. She holds her hand out for Adora. She blinks at the offer but takes it, letting Catra guide her up with one hand in hers and the other on her waist.

Adora’s knees crack, and she winces as the pressure rises off them and she begins to _feel_ them again, but she lets Catra guide her up into the bed. Her knees clearly didn’t take well to kneeling on the stone floor for however long that lasted. Catra lays back and Adora settles between her legs, pillowing her cheek against Catra’s thigh again.

“Is this as good?” Catra asks. Adora’s cheeks are still flushed. She looks up to Catra and then gives a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head.

“No, but I want you to be comfortable, and my knees were hurting. This is still _good_ even if I don’t like it as much,” Adora tells her. Catra drops her head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling as she considers that.

“You want to be on the floor. Beneath me. Why?” she asks, because even though she is getting the _gist_ , she is missing some key details. Adora shrugs against her.

“Don’t know. It’s just simpler,” Adora tells her. Catra raises her eyebrow at the ceiling tile above her.

“This seems like some engrained trauma bullshit surfacing,” Catra warns Adora, since she is so removed from this she does not seem to even know what it is. Catra _knows_ Adora knows about this, these terms and how they work, and yet she has not even recognized it in herself. Adora laughs softly and nudges against her leg.

“I’m only like that for you. It’s just us. I don’t have to worry about anything else – simple,” Adora clarifies, a bit at least. Catra pauses as Adora presses a soft kiss against her thigh. She is _confident_ in her assessment, but the way Adora is talking now makes it seem like she is trying to escape something.

“What are you worried about, then? What are you hiding from _between my thighs_?” Catra asks. Adora snorts, rubbing her cheek against Catra again. After a moment, she stills her movement with a sigh.

“The world, I guess. Everything I’ve done or still have to do. The _weight_. When I’m with you, none of that matters. I can just focus on you and not the hundred different directions I’m being pulled in,” Adora tells her. Catra bites her lip. Maybe Adora _does_ know and just can’t say it. She has some issues with admitting things, even if she has gotten better with time. She is giving Catra a clear definition - she should know what those words add up to.

“Are you trying to tell me something, Adora?” Catra asks, diplomatically. Give Adora an invitation, let her know Catra is here to listen. She raises her head to look down at Adora and finds her blinking up at her, expression blank.

“We’re having a conversation, so yes?” she tries, confused. Catra sighs. Adora has a reputation for being clueless for a reason.

“Do you _know_ what you are trying to tell me?” Catra prompts this time. Adora blinks again, her eyes shifting off to the side as the gears turn in her head. At least some thoughts are starting to form now. Adora was a bit too blissed out – too far _in it_ – to really process this conversation when it first started.

“… No? Do you?” Adora asks, still looking confused, but a bit hopeful now as she gazes up at Catra. Fuck, she might even still be in it, just wanting Catra to take control and tell her what she needs. Catra can't do that. She can't _decide_ for Adora what she needs - what she wants. She needs Adora to tell her, clear-headed, what she wants.

“Red, Adora. Come up here,” Catra orders her. The change is instant. Adora’s eyes fly open wide as she jerks to sit up, pulling away from her position on Catra’s thigh. It is a shot of temporary panic, but Catra can see the analytical look returning to Adora’s eye as she pulls out of the headspace she was in, ready to do whatever Catra needs now. Adora licks her lips, carefully scooting up to the head of the bed to sit beside Catra without actually coming in contact with her.

“Is it okay for me to touch you?” she asks. Her tone is completely different from the quiet, pleading softness of the last few minutes.

“Just hold me while we talk, okay?” Catra asks her. She was actually _fine_ with their positions, but she needs them both level-headed for this discussion, and Adora looking at her like that was starting to overwhelm her. Adora nods, her tension easing a little, and her face sets with determination as she lays beside Catra and pulls her into her arms.

“I’m sorry, I got selfish there. You told me that you wanted me up here and-“

“Adora, _no_. You’re allowed to want things, remember? I just want us face-to-face for this. You can lay back down after,” Catra cuts her off, reaching up to stroke her cheek. Adora lets out a breath, her eyes a bit anxious. Catra pauses and then reaches for Adora’s hand, pulling it up to rest right behind her ear in a clear request.

Adora’s gaze eases a little. She didn’t accept Catra’s words - of course she didn’t - so she is relieved for an actionable path towards forgiveness she doesn’t actually need to earn. Catra’s purr begins to rumble into existence as Adora scratches behind her ear. Adora eases immediately. Catra has only had to call red once due to a panic attack, but Adora can clearly tell this is nowhere near the same.

They just lay for a few long moments. Catra purrs softly, letting herself luxuriate in some post-sex affection before they have this conversation. She also wants to give Adora time to _reflect_. Adora has been making a lot of progress over the last few weeks and Catra is hopeful she can realize she didn’t do anything wrong on her own.

It is nice just having Adora against her, too. Not that she didn’t enjoy having Adora in her lap, but this is different, to be surrounded by her and know Adora is feeling her purr directly. Adora’s body is relaxed against her again, her gentle hum returning as she scratches steadily at the base of her ears with both hands.

“Feeling okay?” Catra asks, softly. Adora’s hum pauses, as do her fingers. Catra bites down on the displeased growl that wants to rise in her throat. She doesn’t want to send the wrong signal, and they need to talk. She can demand affection afterwards. Adora swallows thickly.

“Yeah. I was just- really bottoming there,” Adora acknowledges, quietly. Catra snorts. Yes, but also _no_. That was more than just bottoming. “Was that- too much? Did I make you uncomfortable? I’m not sure why you called red,” Adora questions, an ashamed whisper into Catra’s hair. Catra sighs, pulling back enough to make eye contact with Adora. Adora blinks at her, her gaze nervous.

“Bottoming is fine, Adora. It’s hot when you trust me to take care of you when you let go. But we need to agree on it, so I know it’s okay. I was worried about taking advantage of you when you were like that,” Catra tells her, reaching up to stroke her hands through Adora’s hair.

Adora’s eyes go wide for a moment. She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth, her gaze darting away as she chews on it. She looks pensive, thinking that over. Catra waits. She wants Adora to get there on her own.

It takes Adora several minutes, but she eventually does. Her cheeks flush from whatever realization she reaches. She releases her bottom lip, bitten and slightly swollen from her worrying, and looks up to Catra with almost pleading eyes.

“I think I was in subspace,” she admits, quietly, her gaze searching. Catra merely inclines her head. Adora flushes far worse at the realization that Catra already knew. Her gaze darts to the side and she huffs softly. “I just wanted to make you happy. Feel good. _Purr_. I didn’t want to worry about anything else but you,” she adds.

Catra’s heart is beating a little fast, despite how she already knew that. She ducks down to place a gentle kiss on Adora’s jaw, tugging gently on her hair, _rewarding_ her for actually doing some introspection. Adora lets out a relieved sigh, nudging gladly into the affection. When Catra pulls back, Adora offers her a small smile.

“And the part where you wanted to be on your knees?” she prompts, because it wasn’t _just_ about making her feel good. Adora blushes up to her ears, looking off to the side as she shifts in the sheets. She doesn’t say anything. She still looks a bit ashamed – likely because this part is about _her_ , her desires and her wants. Catra sighs, resuming the gentle strokes through Adora’s hair.

“It’s okay to want things, Adora. To not just want me but want for yourself. And it’s okay to let your control go,” Catra points out. Adora shivers a little at her words, her eyes fluttering closed, though Catra suspects that is just so she doesn’t have to look at Catra while they talk. “Adora, I need you to talk to me. I couldn’t take it if I accidentally talked you into something,” Catra admits. Adora shakes her head, letting out a shaky breath. She opens her eyes, sending Catra a pleading look, but Catra understands it. _Wait, let me think_. Catra nods, lowering herself to tuck down into Adora’s chest.

“Take your time. As long as you’re staying, I am too, remember? And if you tried to run away, I would still hunt you down,” Catra assures her, injecting a little humour into her voice. Adora huffs a laugh, but she nods gratefully.

\--

It takes a while, takes cuddling and soft assurances, but they talk about it. They talk about Adora’s thoughts, about her inability to want things despite how she definitely _wants_.

“It is almost guilt-free when I’m submissive? Because I don’t have a choice, even though I know I do, so I can have the things I want without feeling guilty for it,” Adora tells her, nervously, kneeling on the floor beside the bed again. Catra put down a pillow for her knees first. She is between Catra’s thighs again, but they both agreed they wouldn’t do anything more tonight. Adora is wearing her pajamas now. Catra may still be topless, but she has her shorts firmly on.

“If something hurt, or I just didn’t like it, you would stop, so I can safely enjoy the things I _do_ like. And even without that – it makes it just us, nothing and no one else I have to please. No responsibilities to worry about, just being yours. I like making you feel good, it will always get me off, but I also like when you take me. When I let myself have that,” Adora admits, quietly, wrapping her arms around Catra’s hips and burying her face in the soft fur of Catra’s stomach.

Catra strokes through her hair and assures her, promises her it is alright. She can want things, want _this_ , and truth be told Catra wants it too. This is not a one-way street, and it is far from selfish.

“I want to make you mine. To see you trust me like that. And I never want to hurt you with it. I mean, you already know how I feel about-“ she cuts off, unsure. She doesn’t want to _shame_ Adora, that isn’t what it is about. It is about their history. She sighs. “I get off on the claw thing just like you do, I just don’t want to actually hurt you. You get off on the thrill, and I get off on you trusting me not to _damage_ you,” she settles on saying. Adora nods into her fur.

“I know. I- fuck, Catra, I’ve been thinking about stuff like you tying me up ever since the Crimson Waste. I felt so helpless, but afterwards – that was what I needed. To not have to worry about what I _should_ be doing or wanting, because it didn’t matter either way, I was just yours,” Adora admits, her voice quiet. This is far from the first time they have talked about kinks, or even their fantasies, but it is still _different_. More than just a single desire, encompassing everything Adora is and every problem she has. Catra lets out a soft breath.

“When did you first think about that?” she prompts, gently. They have already done it, kind of, but they both know Adora is talking about more than a loosely knotted scarf on her wrists while she was in full control of what Catra did. Adora’s face is pressed into her fur, but Catra still see the tips of her ear flush.

“It was a bit after the portal. Glimmer was barely coronated. I was trying so hard to let you go, but I just wanted to give in to you,” Adora murmurs, nuzzling in closer as if to bury the confession. Catra shudders a little. It is hard to reconcile her image of Adora then – of _She-ra_ then, hardened when Catra faced her, thinking of Catra only as the woman who burned down the world and not the damaged girl she grew up with – and the _truth_ Adora is telling her now, but she knows Adora wouldn’t lie to her. Catra draws in a slow breath.

“Are you sure about this, Adora? Are you sure you want to give me control like this?” Catra questions, her hands in Adora’s hair and cradling her head close. She feels the flex of Adora’s throat against her as she swallows.

“Not tonight, after how emotional this was – but yeah, I’m sure,” she returns. Catra feels her fur fluff up a little. Still, she needs to _say it_ , not just allusions. If Adora can say the words, then Catra can feel more assured in trusting she really feels ready for this.

“You want to be submissive for me?” Catra questions, her voice low and a bit rough. Adora gasps into her fur, her thighs clenching where she kneels.

“ _Yes_ , Catra. I want to be submissive for you. To be yours,” Adora agrees, her voice a bit ragged. Catra feels a satisfied purr rise in her throat. She has _thought_ about this, fantasized about it just the same as Adora. She didn’t want to bring it up, to influence Adora, but Adora is not the only one who looked back on how she was tied in the Crimson Waste fondly.

There were times during the war when Catra wishes she had just stopped there, following Scorpia’s suggestion and staying in the Waste with her prize tied up in the hull. Nothing that came after the portal felt as good as that sight had, not until she was curled in Adora’s arms again after the chip. She swallows thickly, looking down at her girlfriend’s head in her lap.

“Adora, you’re already mine. And when you’re sure you are ready, I’ll show you,” Catra promises her. Beneath her, Adora shivers. It is merely a preview of what is to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Catra tying Adora up/clawplay.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25957423)  
> This is set a bit after the end of ‘the other half of you (exposure therapy)’. Despite getting into some light bondage and masochism in ‘golden string tying us through everything’ and vaguely discussing kinks, they haven’t really gotten into bdsm yet, nor talked about anything related to it (outside of the clawplay kink) this explicitly before.


	2. Exploration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Melog’s den is covered in [make a home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28343616), but you don’t need to read that fic as long as you know that they have one.

They talk more about it. Adora is unsure that night, but by the next day she is _excited_. It makes Catra chuckle as Adora kisses down the length of her body in the morning light.

“We still need to talk rules,” she reminds. Adora _pouts_ , her hands coming up to massage circles into Catra’s hips again. After a moment, her expression clears and she sends Catra a hopeful smile.

“Can we just have sex, then? I want you right now,” she says, blatant and unashamed. She can say when she wants Catra, just not things for herself. Catra asked Adora _show me you love me_ on the second day after the war – she also asked her to ease into it, but they are well past that point now – and Adora took it to heart. When it is _for_ Catra, Adora can admit to wanting and loving her.

Being submissive is different, new and selfish in Adora’s mind, but Catra is firm on them talking about it more until it _isn’t_ , until it is just another way for them to connect together and trust one another. It takes a few days, but they have their safe words, and they trust each other. They are ready to _try_.

Adora retrieves one of the old books she used for _research_ when she first came to Bright Moon and realized sex wasn’t the taboo topic for behind supply closet doors that it had been in the Horde. In the evening, they sit out on their balcony, Adora humming softly and gazing up at the stars with her wrists pinned together behind her back. Catra practices the knots from the book, tying Adora’s arms together from wrist to elbow.

Desire rolls off of Adora, but neither of them try anything. Catra presses light kisses to her shoulders and assures her she is doing well as Adora sits still for her to practice, but they don’t actually _touch_ each other. Despite wanting this herself, Catra is nervous, and she needs to ease into it to know it is actually okay. If Adora tied _her_ up – at this point, at least – Catra would worry about having a panic attack, but it isn’t like that for Adora.

That is the whole reason they are doing this, after all. They have no intentions of their first time doing something intense like this involving the ropes, but it is a good way to familiarize themselves with this feeling. Adora wants the thrill of restriction, and Catra wants the thrill of having Adora tied up again, this time willing and truly _hers_.

Adora tugs gently on the web of knotted rope between her wrists when Catra asks her how it feels. Her desire instantly spikes, but she also lets out a gentle, _relaxed_ sigh. She wriggles a bit where she sits, her posture sagging as she hums contentedly.

“Feels good,” she tells Catra. Her scent is more than enough for Catra to know she is being truthful. Carefully, Catra wraps her arms around Adora’s waist and pulls her back against her chest. Adora gasps, her skin flushed as Catra hooks her chin over Adora’s shoulder so she can whisper in her ear. Catra purrs, low and satisfied. In response, she feels Adora tug on the ropes again and give a light moan.

“Shh. There will be time for that later,” Catra assures her. Adora immediately whimpers and tugs _harder_. Catra feels her breath catch, her tail whipping side-to-side, but she also doesn’t want this to go too far. “Pink, Adora. Let yourself feel it, but don’t fight it, not yet,” Catra tells her, pressing a kiss below Adora’s ear. Adora lets out a slow breath, the tension in her body releasing as she stops fighting and lets herself just feel the ropes against her skin. Catra’s purr rumbles stronger.

“Good girl. I’m going to take them off now, okay?” Catra tells her. Adora actually huffs, but she nods. She is still flushed as she leans forward to give Catra access to the ropes again. Catra undoes the knots carefully, returning the shibari rope she managed to acquire to their chest of drawers. Afterwards, she lays Adora out on their lounge and worships along her body, feeling her girlfriend quiver beneath the touch of her lips and hands.

Adora is _hers_.

\--

They have the day off. It is rare, Catra usually busy as Glimmer’s Royal Advisor and Adora preoccupied as the newly-official leader of the Princess Alliance and _She-ra_ , but all of them were overdue for a break. Glimmer declared today a national holiday to “celebrate peace” despite the war being over for months. She made some argument about how things have finally stabilized enough for proper celebrations to be held now, but considering Catra helped her coordinate the day off so they could both just spend it with their significant others, she isn’t fooled.

Adora is cuddly all through breakfast, which they take up in their room so they can truly have the whole day to themselves. There was an unspoken promise in what today would be, but neither of them actually _said_ they would try this today. They have talked a bit more about how not only Adora, but Catra also feels and what she wants from this – specifically, what would be too much for her. As much as she has fantasized about this, they both have a lot of history.

“I need everything to be something you enjoy. If I see you panic or get hurt while I’m in control like that… I would have a panic attack,” Catra confessed to Adora when they were discussing her side of things. She didn’t give all the details – didn’t mention how even imagining Adora looking at her the way she had when Catra hurt her during the war made her stomach turn – but Adora was understanding. She even asked if Catra needed to wait longer before they try this, but Catra doesn’t want to wait. She knows you can’t _force_ progress, but she also has never been one to hang back.

They can start with softer scenes, and there is an easy solution to the problem anyway. It is something they should do regardless, so having it as a _requirement_ isn’t any reason to delay this longer, not with Adora so eager for it. During breakfast, Adora drops a hand to Catra’s thigh, squeezing it lightly, and Catra feels her tail sway in excitement behind her. Adora looks _smug_ in response. Catra rolls her eyes and points a finger at her.

“We’re eating first. And then we are going to decide _exactly_ what we are going to do and what is okay,” Catra orders. Adora flushes, part embarrassed and part _excited_. She nods, her eyes bright with interest as she withdraws her hand and returns to eating again. Catra smirks at the obedience, which doesn’t _help_ Adora’s rising blush.

After breakfast, they stretch out on the lounge together, Catra cradled in Adora’s arms as Melog sends her an almost _exasperated_ look and pads from the room to go spend some time in their den. They will have to play with Melog this evening, but right now their morning plans are solidly locked down.

“I want to agree on a scene and make sure everything we are going to do is okay before you get in the headspace, okay?” Catra tells Adora, nuzzling in beneath her chin. Adora lets out a breath, nodding slowly before pulling back to offer Catra an encouraging smile.

“I love you,” she says, for no reason at all. She does that, just saying it randomly when it _moves_ her. Catra blushes a little, feeling her ears twitch.

“I love you too, dummy. Now what do you want?” Catra asks her. Adora flushes now, looking to the side and shifting a little where she lays as she thinks it over. She looks nervous, and Catra doesn’t blame her considering every issue she has, but Catra also needs Adora to tell her what she wants, at least at first, for her to be certain it is okay.

“I… just want to be yours. Made yours,” Adora mumbles, her blush blazing as she looks determinedly out towards the balcony. Catra considers that. It doesn’t give her a lot to work with, but it is a starting point, and the whole point of discussing this beforehand is so Adora is level enough to tell her if she is actually interested in a suggestion rather than riding along on the wave.

“ _Made_ mine, huh? You want me to take you, Adora?” Catra questions. The shiver she gets immediately is all the response she needs. Catra grins a little to herself. “How about the strap? I could have some _fun_ with my princess,” Catra offers. Adora flushes, her eyes darkening for a moment as she pictures it.

“ _Yes_ ,” she agrees, her voice a little breathy. Catra’s own heart beats fast at how _eager_ Adora is to be hers.

“Okay, how about this…” she starts, before outlining a potential list of things to try and a vague scenario they can try. Adora squirms beneath her, nodding and agreeing to all but one idea. It hits Catra’s heart when Adora shakes her head, shooting her a soft look.

“I want to do it, but not that far. I would be too anxious about being seen,” she tells Catra quietly. Catra finds herself purring in response, her chest warm from the blatant honesty, the trust of being told _no_. She was worried Adora wasn’t actually ready for this, but now she feels assured.

Now, she is just eager to get started.

\--

“Come here, princess,” Catra orders. Out of the corner of her eye, she watches Adora shudder for a moment, taking a deep breath before she steps forward into the warm sun pouring through the balcony doors. Catra can’t help the way her ears swivel back to listen to her girlfriend’s thudding heart, nor her tail swaying in interest as Adora adjusts to the sun on her skin. It warms her naked body, but it also lets the reality of the situation sink in.

Catra doesn’t repeat the order. She made Adora promise to use their safewords twice before they began, but she wants to give her time. Catra has already had Adora drag the lounge out onto their balcony. When she returned to the main chamber, Catra made her strip slowly, Adora’s flush only rising as Catra did nothing to help, just _watching_ until she was bare before her.

“What a beautiful princess, all _mine_ ,” Catra breathed to her, drinking in the shiver it earned before turning to stand out on the balcony. Now, she waits, letting Adora take her time or change her mind if she needs to.

Adora steps out onto the balcony, coming up behind Catra and wrapping around her back, sighing with relief. Whether it is from the contact or being ostensibly covered by Catra’s body is a question, but Adora’s eyes had glazed over when Catra told her that she wanted to make Adora _hers_ where anyone could see, so it is likely the former.

The balcony is wide. They are staying back, the lounge placed against the wall to their room. The floor of the balcony protects them from being seen by anyone down below. Unless someone flies over the Whispering Woods somehow, they are safe from being seen. The chances of that happening aren’t _zero_ – Catra hasn’t seen Swift Wind yet this week, and he or any number of their magical or _inventive_ friends could decide to do a fly-by – but they are relatively safe here. Catra wants the thrill being in the open like this elicits, but she also doesn’t want anyone else to see Adora like this.

Adora was the one to propose the location against the wall for maximum safety while still fulfilling this fantasy. Now she curls around Catra’s back, tucking her hands into Catra’s robe and running them through her fur as Adora presses soft kisses against her neck. Catra can’t help the content rumble rolling through her. She has the warmth of the sun on her skin, a cool breeze in her fur, and her girlfriend naked and _ready_ against her.

“Mmm, I didn’t give you permission to touch, princess,” Catra drawls, taking great pleasure in the way Adora’s breath hitches. Her hands twitch on Catra’s hips. “Do I need to show you who is in charge here?” Catra questions, turning her head to look over her shoulder at Adora. Adora’s eyes dilate immediately, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

“You’re in charge, sir,” Adora whispers, but she doesn’t say _no_. Catra feels a small rush at the _power_ contained there. She has had Adora before, even had She-ra under her command just to bring her pleasure, but there is something about the title for higher ranking officers that _does_ things to her. As a kid, she always spat or grumbled those words, and she never thought twice about it when someone used them for her when she was Second, but this is different.

It is Adora. Of course it is different. It is Adora as _hers_ , completely willing and eager to please. Catra is purring to herself as she turns slowly in Adora’s arms, wrapping her arms around Adora’s waist and trailing her claws lightly down Adora’s back as she grins up at her girlfriend. Adora’s reaction is instant, her flush spilling down her chest and gaze locking onto Catra’s, excited and incapable of looking away.

“Mm, I know what you’re hoping for, but not today, princess. I decide what we do,” Catra reminds. She doesn’t need permission for a light caress of her claws, but she is not going further. They didn’t agree to it when they laid out the scene, and Catra has to be in the right headspace to engage in that with Adora.

Adora flushes and nods, her hands falling away from Catra. She seems unsure what to do with them, tucking them behind her back after a moment, clasping them together to fight the urge to touch. Catra chuckles to herself, fond of her stupidly affectionate girlfriend.

“Lay on the lounge, princess. I want to see you on display for me,” Catra orders. Adora’s breath hitches, but she nods determinedly, as if given a mission. She steps away reluctantly, turning and giving Catra a fantastic view of her muscled back as she crosses the meter over to the lounge. Adora pauses when she reaches it, her flush blazing on her shoulders like a sunburn - if Adora was capable of getting them. She-ra’s healing factor means Catra can be certain the blush is just from Adora’s reaction.

“Lay down. Let me see you,” Catra prompts. She doesn’t want to reinforce orders Adora is hesitant of, but this is different from unease with the scene. Adora had never considered her own body from the angle of sex appeal before they started having sex, and she wasn’t sure if Catra would find her attractive at first. It was the dumbest thought she has ever had, and there is stiff competition for that. She is well past that now, but she still is not used to thinking of herself as sexy. Posing is a bit beyond her.

At least in Adora’s mind it is. Catra can’t help but think it _suits her_ as Adora settles on the lounge, laying out on her back so her hair falls around her like a golden halo, her leg closest to Catra bent up, as if raising her thigh can hide how turned on she is now. She sends Catra an embarrassed look, clearly unsure, as she flexes her muscles. It seems to be _unconscious_ , just shifting a little nervously as she lays out.

When she catches the look on Catra’s face, her breath hitches and some of that hesitance fades, replaced with hunger as Adora watches Catra take her in. Her girlfriend really is _beautiful_ , toned from a lifetime of training. Her skin is haloed by the bright sunlight reflecting off of it. She looks like a fucking _painting_ , a fair maiden waiting to be defiled in the light of day.

“Wait there for me, princess,” Catra orders, because that thought lights a fire in her gut that must be met. Adora’s blush is a permanent resident on her skin, but Catra still sees the way her breath stutters and knows what those words are doing to her.

“Yes, sir,” Adora breathes, further proving how much she wants this. Catra feels a small smirk play at her lips as she crosses back into the room, her steps languid and hips swaying teasingly. She knows Adora is watching her as she disappears inside and then silently _hurries_ once out of her view. She retrieves the strap from its hiding place, pulling on the harness quickly.

The strap is a recent acquisition and Catra has yet to use it herself, but she has put it on Adora enough times to pull it on efficiently. She is only half-dressed anyway, wearing just a short, light silk robe. She loosens the tie, rearranging it so the front of the robe can fall open to almost _lazily_ reveal the strap. Plenty of access, a fantastic tease of her tits, but still covered enough to prevent sunburn for _her_ and give her the inflated power of still being partially clothed.

She also isn’t comfortable with being truly naked where someone could see. She admitted that to Adora when they were discussing this, if only to even the playing field and assure her that it really was fine to say _no_ to this considering she would. Adora, however, wants this. She is still lying on the lounge when Catra emerges through the balcony doorway.

Adora pauses in the middle of shifting restlessly, clearly _eager_ for Catra to return. Catra purrs to herself as she approaches the end of the lounge, reaching up to grab Adora’s ankles. She _yanks_ , causing Adora to squeak as she pulls her down until her ass is at the end of the lounge, her legs spread with Catra between them.

Adora _pants_ , staring up at Catra with wide eyes as she lets out a soft moan. Catra smirks down at her as Adora’s eyes drag _down_ , taking in her body and the strap just inches from meeting her.

“You want this, princess? Want me to fuck you out in the open, where the whole kingdom could see you? Could see that you’re _mine_?” Catra questions, cocking her hip and leering down at Adora. They are lucky that Glimmer put a sound dampening enchantment on their chambers last month – Adora’s answering moan is loud and _desperate_ , openly pleading.

Catra chuckles, reaching down to grab hold of Adora’s calves and forcing them _up_ until her knees are folded up against her chest, her body totally on display. She wants to make Adora say it, but they have already talked about how this is a way for Adora to enjoy herself free of the guilt of her desires, and making her say it would be counter-productive to that. Catra will have her begging _happily_ eventually, but for now she settles on Adora’s gasping breaths and the light of excitement in her eyes.

“Colour,” she prompts softly, looking up from the sight of Adora _splayed_ for her to make eye contact. Adora’s gaze softens a little as she gives a small nod.

“Blue. I’m yours,” she breathes. Catra shudders a little, feeling her fur fluff up. She takes a moment to collect herself before straightening up.

“Of course you are, princess. All mine to do what I want with. Keep your legs there or I will _stop_ , you understand? I want you to be spread for me. I would hate to have to leave you worked up like this,” Catra tells her. Adora whines, glancing down at the way she is spread out in the light. She is _soaked_ , twitching and dripping down onto the cushion. This _exact_ detail Catra didn’t tell her in advance – she kept it as simple as fucking her on the balcony and checking a few details were okay – but it clearly excites Adora, just like Catra knew it would.

“Yes, sir,” Adora breathes, flushing and dropping her head to lay back on the lounge again. Even not looking at how spread out she is, it clearly is still affecting her as she shifts beneath Catra’s gaze, twitching a little, but keeping her knees up. She is folded in half and _dripping_ for her.

Catra purrs in satisfaction, leaning down a little to line up with Adora’s entrance. This part she _did_ ask about, because it isn’t something she would be willing to try without previous approval. Her hands drop to Adora’s hips, holding her still, and she looks up to make eye contact with Adora as Adora draws in a sharp breath at feeling the strap line up.

“Good girl,” Catra praises, and then thrusts her hips forward, burying herself to the hilt in Adora without preamble. Adora cries out in shock and pleasure, writhing a little beneath her, but making no effort to pull away. Her eyes flutter closed with the movement, bliss spreading across her face as Catra takes her. Just as quickly as she pushed in, Catra pulls back. Adora is wet enough to take it, but she still whines, needy and pleading when Catra pulls out almost all the way.

“Please,” she gasps, locking eyes with Catra. The blatant _need_ in her face is enough to have Catra shivering, her grip flexing on Adora’s hips.

“I’m going to fuck you hard, princess. Can you take that?” she asks. They already agreed to rough sex, or she would be gentler in asking, but Adora knows Catra is really giving her an opening to tell her she isn’t ready without her having to admit that she wants it. This way they have dealt the emotional part and she can just enjoy herself in the moment.

Adora whines, flexing her hips in an attempt to take more of the strap, but between Catra’s hands and how little leverage she has folded like this, she accomplishes nothing but working herself up further, whimpering and moaning before she gives up. Her desperation is obvious, written across the sweat beading across her skin in the heat of the sun and in the high whines laced in each breath.

“ _Yes_ , I can take it,” she gives up, _begging_ for it in her voice alone. Catra purrs as she adjusts her hips.

“You’re so desperate to be mine. _Good girl,_ ” she praises, and then truly begins to _fuck_ her. She thrusts forward, taking Adora harshly and holding her in place. She doesn’t need to ask the colour now – Adora loves it, moaning, twitching, sobbing _yes_ as Catra takes her. It is hard to hold her still as she takes her, but seeing Adora utterly blissed out like this, desperate to be hers, has Catra’s gut clenching and her thrusts turning rough.

“Look at you, princess. So gorgeous when you’re fucked out,” Catra purrs down to Adora, her voice low. Adora almost drowns the words out with her moans and gasps, but the drawn out whine she releases makes it clear she heard it. Catra wants to say more, but the exertion is shortening her breath as she works to _make_ Adora hers in every way, the way Adora wants.

Catra is going to collapse from exhaustion after this, but right now she is drinking in the sight of Adora writhing for her. It makes her core and her chest clench in equal measure, turning her on and causing her breath to catch at the trust and the _love_ Adora is placing in her with this. Seeing how good she can make Adora feel is another layer added on, driving her hips forward with urgency as Adora’s cries build in pitch.

Catra _works_ , Adora finally coming with a sobbing cry right around the time the exhaustion of the effort builds to where Catra can’t keep the pace up much longer. Catra stutters to a halt buried deep inside her as Adora comes, her head thrown back as her writhing finally slows. After a few moments, she is laying utterly _peaceful_ beneath Catra, her breathing ragged and skin shined with sweat as she comes back to herself.

Catra pulls out slowly, earning a soft noise of protest, but Adora does not so much as flutter her eyes open. Catra undoes the straps of the harness quickly, wanting to be able to take care of Adora once she becomes properly aware again. She hooks her arm through one strap and then circles around to the side of the lounge, keeping her hands on Adora as she goes so she knows Catra isn’t leaving.

Adora hums happily, her eyes still closed, and rolls over to turn towards Catra’s shadow. Catra leans down, stroking her hands down Adora’s arm to soothe her.

“I love you, Adora. You were such a good girl. It’s time to go inside, okay? And then we can lay together, just us,” Catra promises her, bending down to press a soft kiss against Adora’s forehead. Adora makes a quiet sound of acknowledgement, nudging up into the affection. Catra lingers for her, pressing another kiss against the side of her face as she reaches down and carefully stretches Adora’s legs back out. She goes slowly, not wanting to strain her, but Adora seems unbothered as Catra lays her out again.

For a few moments, Catra just soothes her, letting Adora enjoy the post-orgasm haze as she rubs gently on her legs and stretches them out again. She has Adora sit up slowly, clearly still a bit dazed from the bloodrush. Adora follows her hands and directions eagerly, and Catra praises her as she stands and nuzzles into her.

“Good girl. Come on, in bed. You can stay down in my lap if you want to,” Catra promises her, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. Adora leans into it happily, humming softly as she kisses Catra back, slow and unhurried despite how the heat of the sun inched past _pleasant_ and into _stifling_ awhile ago. Catra doesn’t rush her, letting Adora have the moment of calm after the intensity of what they just did. It is another way to _show_ she loves her and not just say it.

When they pull apart, Adora sighs softly, her eyes fluttering open to gaze down at Catra with a shining expression of pure affection. Catra feels herself blush, circling one arm around Adora’s waist.

“How do you feel?” she asks as she gently tugs on Adora’s waist, directing her back into their room. Adora follows the direction, a small, contented smile playing on her lips.

“Floaty. Warm. Really good,” she responds, gladly leaning into Catra’s side. Catra purrs to herself as she directs Adora to the side of the bed, sitting her on it and dropping her arm to squeeze Adora’s hand for a moment.

“I’m going to put this on the counter and get us water, okay? I’ll be right back, and then we can do anything you want,” Catra promises her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Adora nods, shifting back to lay down properly in the bed. Catra hurries to the bathroom, placing the strap on the counter for cleaning later when Adora isn’t still in subspace and Catra has energy again. They already have waters in the room from breakfast, and Catra snags them on her way back to the bed.

They are both thirsty, nearly draining their glasses before they settle together, Adora happily cuddling into Catra. Catra purrs for her, content and relaxed with her girlfriend up against her, even if she didn’t get off herself this time. There will be time for that later, or on another day. Right now she is happy to have Adora in her arms.

Catra murmurs assurances to her, telling her how beautiful she is, how good she was, how much she loves her. Adora shudders and presses close, drinking in the praise as readily as Catra gives it.

It is probably a good thing they have the entire day to themselves, because she suspects Adora is going to be _relaxed_ for a while yet, but that is okay with her. More than okay, since she gets to watch Adora open and vulnerable for her, hungry for her touch and praise. Adora trusting her like this is its own reward, satisfying as she presses gentle kisses against her girlfriend’s face and holds her close.

This was intense for both of them, but Catra already knows they will be repeating something like this again. Adora’s lax state and Catra’s own thudding heart are the only proof she needs of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cats can get sunburned and have freckles, btw.  
> Next chapter is a flash forward… And She-ra.


	3. Established

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during [foundations](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296318), when their home is new but they aren’t married yet. Basically they have a house in the woods ~~for noisy sex~~.  
> There are some shibari terms in this chapter, which I do describe, but I was able to find a site that does referential images/tutorials on a life-size cloth mannequin that doesn’t look hyper-realistic/explicit. For reference (if you need it), [an image of a karada box tie](https://www.theduchy.com/karada-box-tie/karada-box-tie/) and an [image + tutorial of a simple frog tie](https://www.theduchy.com/frog-tie/) (the one Catra does is more decorative). You could also simply google these terms.

“How do you want me?” Adora asks, a little breathlessly, despite how she has to look _down_ to meet Catra’s eye right now. When she turned into She-ra, she did it without clothes, though her headpiece is still on. Adora has never transformed without it, and Catra only asks her to dismiss it when it would get in the way of their activities, but it won’t _tonight_.

Adora knows how Catra _wants_ her – she has already summoned the lasso for her – but what she is really asking for is the position. They have done this plenty of times, but right now Catra just wants She-ra restrained for her. She stands from where she was settled on the edge of the bed, already naked herself after the make out that led them here.

“On the middle of the bed. I think I’ll do a boxtie for your arms and a frog tie for your legs,” Catra orders. Adora flushes, her eyes lighting up, and she immediately follows orders, settling in the center of the mattress, kneeling with her legs spread so Catra has plenty of _access_. Catra halts her with a hand on her arm, causing Adora to look up and send her a questioning look.

“Just sit for now. I’ll start with your arms, do some decorative tying, and then you can reposition for the frog tie. I don’t want to strain your legs too much,” Catra tells her, leaning forward to press a kiss against Adora’s cheek, right next to the headpiece. Adora softens, nuzzling into the affection, but she looks a bit exasperated.

“I’m not going to get sore from kneeling as She-ra,” she points out, but she repositions to be sitting crossed-legged instead. Catra swats Adora’s thigh with her tail and doesn’t acknowledge her words as she settles on the bed behind her. That is true, but she would rather spare her girlfriend any potential discomfort, and it is a good habit to be in for when they do this when Adora is just herself and not She-ra.

She-ra is needed less and less for battle these days. They had always brought her out in the bedroom occasionally, at either Adora’s request or Catra’s command, but recently they have been experimenting with her more as a form of therapy and self-exploration for Adora. It helps her accept She-ra as an extension and expression of herself, and think of herself as less of a weapon for war.

With Adora growing more confident in her sense of worth both as herself and as She-ra, Catra wasn’t surprised when Adora asked to be submissive for her as She-ra. Catra has tied She-ra up before, but this is different, not just about sex and also about Adora’s journey. BDSM is less of a tool for exploration these days and just something they both enjoy.

The act of tying Adora up is almost as fun as having her restrained beneath her. Adora has her arms folded behind her back, her forearms pressed together and hands on her elbows for the box tie. The position pushes her chest out, displaying her lovely tits as Catra begins to bind her arms together carefully, ensuring nothing is too tight or restrictive to bloodflow. She-ra or not, Catra wants to be careful with Adora.

As she works, Catra presses kisses against Adora’s neck, back, and arms, occasionally murmuring soft words and praises that have Adora sighing and relaxing beneath her touch. Catra feels along Adora’s body as she works decorative karada tying over her torso, framing it in rope that only accentuates the swell of her chest and lines of her muscles. She-ra is cut like stone, but warm and alive with magic beneath her hands as she works the rope down Adora’s abdomen and hips as well.

When they first started this, it was a way for Adora to explore her desires without feeling guilty for them. Now, it is just something Adora is able to desire on her own, no fear for what she wants holding her back otherwise. For Catra, it was something she wanted, but also a way to take care of Adora for once. The feeling of leashing She-ra beneath her with her own lasso is an intense act of trust and rush of power.

Catra never needed to rule Etheria or even the Horde, it turns out. She has never felt more important than when Adora shifts beneath her to kneel so Catra can work her knots down the lengths of her legs, tying them folded beneath her and _spread_. Warm, glowing magic radiates from Adora’s skin, and yet she wiggles a little in the ropes and sighs happily at the restriction as Catra drops a kiss against her sternum before returning to encasing her legs in rope.

“How does it feel?” Catra asks her, leaning back to take in the sight of She-ra, kneeling and bound with her arms behind her back, her chest rising and falling with her breaths that are just a touch laboured. Adora’s cheeks are flushed, her glowing blue eyes unfocused, and Catra drinks in how Adora’s muscles flex as she tries to fight the rope but is left immobile beneath the lasso. Adora _could_ dismiss it to free herself, but she has no desire to. Desire floods from her as she fights the restrictions.

“Good,” she manages, her voice rough as she tilts her head down to meet Catra’s eyes. Catra grins, sitting up on her knees to kiss Adora firmly, grabbing her by the ponytail and yanking her down into the kiss. Adora stutters out a moan, but Catra is far from _done_. Adora asked to be submissive as She-ra, and there are many ways to do that.

“Wait here. Or try to leave, I suppose. You _can’t_ , princess,” Catra tells her with a near-feral grin as she pulls back from the kiss. Adora’s eyes flutter and she moans softly, her muscles flexing again as she fights the ropes and gets _no closer_ to reaching for Catra as she slips from the bed. Adora whines, watching her go, but Catra has far more in mind that just tying Adora up.

It is harder for Adora to get off as She-ra. The form was meant for fighting and Adora is less sensitive to touch when she transforms in bed. Catra purrs to herself as she crosses to the chest where they keep their supplies, appreciating the soft gasp Adora gives as she watches Catra open it. She won’t be _able_ to make sounds like that much longer, but even the anticipation of what Catra is getting is enough to have her shifting in the bed. Catra pauses, glancing over at Adora.

“Do I need to get the spreader bar to make you behave?” she asks, pointedly looking down to where Adora is pressing her thighs together. Adora shudders immediately, spreading her legs and shaking her head.

“No, sir. I’ll behave,” she returns, her voice a touch _ragged_. Catra smirks at her for a moment before turning back to the chest and producing the targets of her search. Adora whines behind her as Catra pulls the harness and gag from the trunk, shifting again on the mattress, but she keeps her legs apart as Catra crosses back over to the bed.

“Dismiss the lasso if you need me to stop or slow down, alright? Or say the safe words around the gag. I’ll listen for them still,” Catra tells her, reaching up to stroke the sides of Adora’s face. Adora flushes and nods, leaning happily into the touch, even as Catra raises her other hand containing the gag. Adora leans into it, parting her lips for the gag and accepting it readily. Catra slips the hand she was using to stroke her behind her head to bind the gag in place.

Catra leans back, feeling the liquid heat building between her legs at the sight before her. She-ra, in all her shining glory, completely naked but for her head piece and the ropes decorating her skin, completely binding her in place. Her eyes are soft, hazy with lust as she gazes down at Catra with the gag between her lips. She couldn’t protest if she wanted to – but she also _could_ and _won’t_.

“Good girl. Legs spread wider, princess – the harness is for you,” Catra orders. Adora eyes go wide, a soft, questioning sound muffled beneath the gag, but she dutifully follows orders. Catra smirks at her as she leans forward, laying the harness over her girlfriend and watching Adora’s chest rise and fall as her breathing becomes laboured with the realization of Catra’s plan.

It would be easier to do the straps of the harness if she did this before tying Adora, but watching Adora squirm and make _begging_ sounds of protest – but none that approach their safe words – as Catra slips the straps underneath her and buckles them in place is worth the extra effort.

Adora is begging to fuck her, Catra can make that out even through the gag. Catra chuckles to herself as she settles on the bed before Adora. She reaches up, poking a claw against Adora’s forehead and watching Adora fall silent as her eyes go wide and pleading.

“I think not, princess. I’m going to use you to get off. If you do well, you can have what you want after I’m satisfied,” Catra corrects, stroking the hand on her forehead down to cradle the side of her cheek. “Are you going to behave for me, or do I need to get another fucktoy?” she asks. Adora whines, shaking her head urgently and flexing her hips forward, _showing_ Catra how eager she is to please her. It is a sight Catra will never be sick of.

“Good girl. Now hold still,” Catra orders, rising up so she can lower herself onto the strap. Even in the wave of _relief_ at feeling the toy press into her, she doesn’t miss the way Adora’s arms flex, wanting to grab her and guide her down. Adora loves taking care of her, setting the pace and fucking her just right, but Catra is not giving her that option today. She purrs as she sinks down onto Adora’s lap, burying herself on the strap.

It feels so _good_ , full of Adora’s length as Adora squirms beneath her, fighting the urge to fuck her hips forward. It wouldn’t matter if she did. The full-body tying Catra did was not just decorative – though she does love the sight – and Adora can do little more than squirm and flex helplessly beneath the restriction, whining pleadingly. Catra loves the things Adora says to her during sex, but she also loves when she is gagged and reduced to nothing but pleading noises.

“Mm, princess, I love when you whine for me, so eager to _beg_ to fuck me,” Catra purrs to her, leaving forward to nuzzle against Adora’s neck as she raises her hips and then brings them down roughly. Adora groans at the same time Catra shivers from the pleasure. This strap has ridging on the inside so Adora can get something out of it too, but with her transformed right now what will really get her off is the sight of Catra taking pleasure from her.

“Whines just like _that_. Be a good girl and take it. I want to ride you. You’ll have your turn when I’m _finished_ ,” Catra tells her, before she sets a rhythm, wrapping her arms around Adora’s shoulders and using them as an anchoring point as she rolls her hips down onto the strap. Her own gasps and moans join Adora’s, heat pouring through her at the stretch of being _filled_ , knowing it is Adora buried in her.

Sex toys, on their own, don’t do much for Catra, but when Adora holds them, wears them, uses them, then it is _Adora_ getting her off, and it feels a special kind of incredible. Catra realizes she is purring already as she works her hips down, whining softly at the satisfaction shivering through her body on every rough movements of her hips.

The feeling is only intensified by Adora’s answering trembles, her muscles flexing as she instinctually tries to hold Catra or work her hips forward. Her moaning and muffled _please_ s are obscene through the gag, Catra’s sensitive ears more than able to still pick them out, but mostly Adora just moans and whines, trying to meet Catra as she feels the heat building within her gut.

Catra shifts her grip, leaving one arm clutched around Adora’s shoulders, twisting the hand up to grab onto Adora’s ponytail and _yank_ , holding on for dear life. Adora moans loudly, the sound desperate and pleading as Catra’s other arm drops to touch herself while she works herself down onto the strap. The contact is the final push she needs, coming with a loud moan as she finally halts the roll of her hips. Her orgasm washes through her, making her clench down on the strap buried inside her.

It is quiet for a few moments but for their ragged breathing. Adora’s chest is rising and falling rapidly beneath the ropes, the scent of her desire pervading the room with nothing to meet it. Catra nuzzles into her neck, marking it happily from where she has her head buried in Adora’s shoulder. Her purr is loud now, but the fire in her gut hardly feels _cooled_ despite the endorphins working through her body. Likely, it is from having Adora bound beneath her. An _occasion_ like this requires a special celebration.

“You want to fuck me properly now, don’t you, princess?” Catra purrs, lifting her head to breathe the words right in Adora’s ear. Adora whines, nodding eagerly. Catra grins to herself, chuckling lightly. “Too bad. I said your turn would come when I am _done_ , and I am far from satisfied,” Catra chides her, and then begins rolling her hips again.

Adora _groans_ , her muscles flexing and straining beneath the ropes, but the ropes hold, neither breaking nor vanishing entirely. Catra pulls back just enough to watch her face, forced up to face the ceiling from Catra yanking the back of her head down via her ponytail. Adora’s face is flushed, her eyes totally glazed over as she whines and moans. She is deep in subspace from being used and directed like this, but Adora can take it and _love_ it. The scent of her desire is as strong as Catra’s own, despite how Catra can’t imagine how empty she must feel right now, not with the strap hitting her so right on every thrust.

“Good – _ah_ \- good girl. You love getting me off, don’t you?” Catra questions, yanking on her hair harder for leverage to pull herself nearly off the strap before she rolls her hips down again. Adora’s eyes flutter and she answers with a desperate groan, a _yes_ if Catra has ever heard one.

“Mm, good girl. I love the way you fuck me, the way you fill me up. You feel so good inside of me,” Catra purrs to her, watching the instant effect of Adora’s chest straining against the ropes framing her tits as she struggles to gasp for air. Adora screws her eyes shut, whining high and desperate. She manages another muffled _please_ beneath the gag, her throat flexing uselessly.

“Shh, princess. You’re _mine_ , remember? You fuck me so well because I let you. _Take it_ , and then I’ll let you take me,” Catra tells her. Adora whines softly, but it is an obedient sound, the kind that would be accompanied by a head nod if Catra wasn’t forcing her head back like this.

“Good girl. You know your words if it is too much. You have a choice,” Catra reminds her, softly, leaning forward to drop a kiss along Adora’s jaw before she rolls her hips again. They discovered that now Adora doesn’t _need_ the guise of being submissive to want things, being reminded she has a choice about it just makes the whole experience burn hotter for her, whereas before it threatened to pull her out of it.

Adora groans, her eyes screwing shut and her abdomen flexing with the rough thrust of her hips. It is the exact response Catra wanted, and she rides the strap with a feeling of warmth in her chest not _just_ from the desire radiating through her body.

“You feel so good, look so gorgeous for me,” Catra manages to mumble, a bit nonsensically, as the heat builds to a fever pitch between her legs again. Her hand fell still with her first orgasm, but now she works it against her clit again, and within a few moments heat rushes over her again, more intense than the first time. She mewls against Adora’s shoulder, lost in the waves of pleasure as she buries herself down on the toy and works her hand over herself desperately, building the endorphins higher.

Maybe she comes twice. Maybe it is just the longest orgasm of her life. Either way, she becomes aware of herself again slowly, shivering a little against Adora’s chest. Adora is breathing as heavily as she is. Slowly, Catra releases her ponytail, no longer needing the leverage to work herself up and down. Adora’s chin drops and she feels Adora nuzzling down into her hair, making a soft, questioning sound.

“Feels so good. You are so good to me, Adora,” Catra assures her, words still a little breathless and slurred as she turns her head to nudge into Adora’s neck. All of Adora’s straining muscles relax, contented that she has served Catra properly. Catra is purring again, nuzzling into her girlfriend as occasional aftershocks twitch through her and she catches her breath.

“Mm, you were good for me, princess. You can let the ropes go, but the gag stays on, understand?” Catra orders, stretching up to purr into Adora’s ear. Adora lets out a breath shaky with relief and nods eagerly. Catra normally likes to undo the ropes just as much as she enjoys putting them on, worshipping Adora’s body slowly as she does so, but Adora clearly _wants_ , and she deserves it without any delay right now.

The golden rope wrapped around Adora flares bright for a moment and then disintegrates, leaving behind rope impressions in She-ra’s skin as the only evidence it ever existed. They will fade quickly, but the lines crossing her skin are hot, and Catra finds her hands dropping to trace them even as Adora’s hands land on her hips. Adora makes a soft, questioning noise beneath her, and Catra forces herself to pull back from her contented nuzzle to check in.

Adora’s eyes are still hazy – she is still in subspace, Catra can tell from her obediently-light grip on her hips alone – but she is sending Catra a hopeful look. Catra purrs, leaning forward, to mark along Adora’s jaw and reassure her before she leans back again.

“You were good for me, Adora. You can have me however you like now. Whatever my princess wants,” Catra promises her. Adora’s eyes flare, as do her nostrils as she sucks in a breath. Her grip flexes on Catra and carefully, she lifts her up off the strap. The loss of the sense of _fullness_ still isn’t enough to break her contented purr as Adora shifts them, laying Catra out on the sheets and shifting to kneel between her legs.

Catra sweeps her eyes along Adora’s body, drinking in the already-fading impressions one last time before they disappear completely. When her eyes meet Adora’s again, Adora has her hands on her thighs, thumbs rubbing small circles into her fur as she looks down at Catra hopefully. They have done this more than enough times for Catra to know what she wants.

“You want permission to fuck me, princess?” Catra questions. Adora shudders, moaning softly, and nods. Catra can’t help the small smile quirking at the edge of her mouth. Adora is still in subspace and has no intention of leaving it, it seems. She wants to _serve_. “Hm, you can with your hands, princess. The strap goes unless _you_ want to be fucked,” Catra decides. She is contented now, but she can go again if Adora wants. The strap would be too much after already taking it out.

Apparently using her hands is what Adora wanted, though, because she nods eagerly and drops her hands to undo the buckles. She pulls the harness off, tossing it aside as she shifts to lean over Catra with one arm propping her up and the other running between Catra’s legs. Catra shivers, letting her eyes fall closed as Adora touches her lightly, submissive even in her touch.

“Hmm, just like that. Take it easy. Get too rough and I’ll revoke my permission,” Catra tells her, slitting her eyes open just to watch Adora shiver at that. It is what Adora _wants_ , to fuck her slow, she can tell that by the way she is touching her. It still heightens the pleasure Adora gets from it to be ordered to do it. Adora nods, a sweeping motion exaggerated so Catra can see it clearly with Adora having no verbal way to give her confirmation.

Catra really wants to kiss her girlfriend, but she also wants Adora to get the pleasure of being _hers_ awhile longer, so the gag stays on. She lets herself just relax beneath Adora’s touch as she lines one finger up and presses in carefully, slow and gentle. Despite not being able to take the strap at this point, Catra can more than take Adora’s middle finger.

“Another, princess. I still need to feel you,” Catra orders. Adora _perks up_ , pulling back readily and pressing in with two fingers this time. It is the perfect amount of stretch, a little slenderer than the strap and _long_ , making her release a contented sigh as Adora thrusts in. “Perfect, princess. Give me your palm to grind on,” Catra tells her. Adora readjusts her hand a little bit, looking for approval as she presses all the way in with two fingers, crooking them at just the right moment. Her palm grinds onto Catra’s clit and it is _perfect_.

Catra’s toes curl, her tail swaying happily beneath her as she sinks into the building heat of Adora’s touch, sighing gently as she lets herself just focus on the euphoric feeling of Adora’s touch, stars bursting when Adora curls her fingers and presses in just right. The attention to her clit is almost an afterthought now she is on her third or fourth orgasm. She lets every contented sigh and twitch of pleasure show, all rewards for Adora to drink in greedily and see how good she is making Catra feel now she is a bit too spent to offer verbal praise.

Adora moans when Catra does, grinding onto the mattress beneath her. It doesn’t take long for the heat to build until it is flooding through her again, this time a peaceful wave of endorphins that leaves her limp and sighing into the sheets. Adora pulls out and she flutters her eyes open just fast enough to see She-ra fade away, replaced by a thoroughly flushed Adora. She looks _wrecked_ , her cheeks a little splotchy and eyes unfocused.

“Did you come for me, princess?” Catra questions, her voice breathy. Adora nods silently, despite how the gag was sized for She-ra’s head and thus is only held in place by Adora’s own parted lips now. Catra purrs, sitting upright slowly and reaching behind Adora’s head, undoing the gag and pulling it away from Adora. Adora licks her lips in its absence, her gaze immediately falling to Catra’s mouth as Catra tosses the gag towards the end of the bed. The mattress is huge, and there is plenty of room to leave it there until they have both unwound.

“You were so good to me, Adora. You want a kiss?” Catra prompts, softly, reaching up to cradle her cheek. Adora’s eyes flutter and she nods, licking her lips again.

“Please,” she asks, her voice a bit rough from all the whining. Catra smiles to herself as she leans forward, threading a hand carefully through Adora’s hair. She kisses her slow and thorough, loving and soft, pouring every pounding emotion in her heart out in a gentle embrace, the way Adora deserves after something intense like that.

“I love you. I love you so much. Anything you want, I’d give to you,” Catra mumbles to her, between each slide of their lips. Adora shudders in response, her arms coming up to wrap around Catra’s waist as she presses forward, laying them back. Catra lets Adora rearrange them until her girlfriend is draped over her, cradling her close as they kiss.

“I love you too. That was amazing. You were so fucking hot,” Adora returns, kissing her and nuzzling into her cheek. Catra’s purr rolls between them, filling the space as she wraps her arms around Adora in return, marking along her jaw again like Adora clearly _wants_ from the way she is rubbing up against her. Adora just sighs dreamily, still plenty content.

“How do you feel? Nothing was too much?” Catra questions, pressing a kiss against her cheek after marking it. Nothing they did was necessarily _new_ , but they have not done all of that together, and just because something is okay one day doesn’t mean it will be the next. Adora hums happily and she nuzzles into Catra, however, so clearly it didn’t get too intense for her.

“Feel so good. Just wanna cuddle my kitten now. I love being yours,” Adora assures her. Catra shivers beneath her, wrapping her arms tight around Adora’s back. Adora used to call her _kitten_ , or _kitty_ , when they were small kids and the words actually applied, but she stopped when they became insults jeered by the other cadets as they grew older. Catra thought she had outgrown the words affecting her, but it is _different_ when Adora does it, loving and recalling the soft kitten she used to cling to in the darkness of the Fright Zone.

“You are always mine, Adora. My good girl. And I am yours,” Catra returns, stroking one hand through her long hair as she cuddles into Adora’s touch. Adora’s hum is soft, as is the kiss she drops lightly against Catra’s cheek.

“I know. I love you. Always,” she agrees, before burying her head down in the peach fuzz of Catra’s neck. Catra’s purr is not going to fade any time soon.

“I love you too,” she assures, even as Adora’s breaths turn rumbling, sleep creeping into her limbs after being strung out for so long. Catra can continue assuring her when she wakes, happy to curl into her girlfriend and doze with her in the meantime.

It is the kind of scene she fantasized the beginning of during the war, She-ra captured and hers to use, but she never would have pictured this ending, the two of them curling together in peaceful sleep. Despite always imagining Adora wanting it, she never truly thought Adora _would_ , and so she could never picture how much Adora loves it in actuality – how _draining_ it is for her to not be able to touch Catra, even if it works her up until she is coming just from grinding on the bedspread.

They have both earned this moment. Catra lets herself sink into a doze with her girlfriend a warm blanket above her, feeling thoroughly content and at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of my fanfiction for 2020! I know it is already new years in some places, but not here yet. I plan to return to my regular schedule of posting 2-3 times a week now the advent is over. TY to everyone who read, shared, and commented on my fics this year! Seeing what you liked and resonated with really helped me grow as a writer.


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